All things freshwater: news, analysis, humor, reviews, and commentary from Michael E. 'Aquadoc' Campana, hydrogeologist, hydrophilanthropist, Professor of Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management in the Geography Program of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) at Oregon State University and Emeritus Professor of Hydrogeology at the University of New Mexico. He is Past President of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA), Past Chair of the Scientists & Engineers Division of the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), Past President of the nonprofit NGWA Foundation and President and Founder the nonprofit Ann Campana Judge Foundation, an organization involved with WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Central America. He serves on the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership (GWP). CYA statement: with the exception of guest posts, the opinions expressed herein are solely those of Michael E. Campana and not those of CEOAS, Oregon State University, ACJF, AWRA, NGWA, GWP, my spouse Mary Frances, or any other person or organization.

Texas Agriculture Law BlogDon't let the name fool you - there are lots of water issues in agriculture and Tiffany Dowell of Texas A&M University does a fabulous job with this important Internet resource. Give it a read - I do every day!

The Way of WaterDr. Jennifer Veilleux records her fieldwork, research, and thoughts about water resources development and management, indigenous rights, ethics, and a host of other issues.

Thirsty in SuburbiaGayle Leonard documents things from the world of water that make us smile: particularly funny, amusing and weird items on bottled water, water towers, water marketing, recycling, the art-water nexus and working.

This Day in Water HistoryMichael J. 'Mike' McGuire, engineer extraordinaire, NAE member, and author of 'The Chlorine Revolution', blogs about historical happenings in the fields of drinking water and wastewater keyed to calendar dates.

Watershed Moments: Thoughts from the HydrosphereFrom Sarah Boon - rediscovering her writing and editing roots after 13 years, primarily as an environmental scientist. Her writing centres around creative non-fiction, specifically memoir and nature writing. The landscapes of western Canada are her main inspiration.

WaterWiredAll things freshwater: news, comment, publications and analysis from hydrogeologist Michael E. Campana, Professor at Oregon State University and Technical Director of the AWRA.

7 posts from February 23, 2020 - February 29, 2020

Saturday, 29 February 2020

So who's ever heard of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)? It's probably one of the agrecies that if you've heard of it, then it's not doing a good job.Remember the National Bureau of Standards? It's now the NIST.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a laboratory of the Department of Commerce, is mandated to provide technical services to facilitate the competitiveness of U.S. industry. NIST is directed to offer support to the private sector for the development of precompetitive generic technologies and the diffusion of government-developed innovation to users in all segments of the American economy. Laboratory research is to provide measurement, calibration, and quality assurance techniques that underpin U.S. commerce, technological progress, improved product reliability, manufacturing processes, and public safety.

Concerns about the adequacy of federal funding for physical science and engineering research led to efforts by successive Presidents and Congresses to double funding for the NIST laboratory and construction accounts, together with the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy Office of Science. President Bush’s proposal was to do so over 10 years; the America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69) set authorization levels consistent with a seven-year doubling and the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 set authorization levels consistent with an 11-year doubling. However, appropriations did not keep pace with authorization levels or presidential requests. In addition, the appropriations authorizations for the accounts targeted for doubling lapsed at the end of FY2013. Appropriations for the targeted NIST accounts increased by 42.3% from FY2006 to FY2016.

Funding for NIST extramural programs directed toward increased private sector commercialization has been a topic of congressional debate. Some Members of Congress have expressed skepticism over a “technology policy” based on providing federal funds to industry for development of precompetitive generic technologies. This approach, coupled with pressures to balance the federal budget, led to significant reductions in funding for NIST. The Advanced Technology Program (ATP) and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), which accounted for over 50% of the FY1995 NIST budget, were subsequently proposed for elimination. In 2007, ATP was terminated and replaced by the Technology Innovation Program (TIP). TIP was subsequently defunded in the FY2012 appropriations legislation. President Trump has proposed the elimination of federal funding for the MEP program in fiscal years 2018 to 2021.

In December 2014, Congress enacted the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2014 (Title VII of Division B of P.L. 113-235), establishing a Network for Manufacturing Innovation (also referred to as Manufacturing USA). The explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113) directed NIST to use an open competition to select the technological focus areas of industry-driven manufacturing institutes. Upon completion of its first competition, NIST announced its selection of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). In total, 14 NNMI institutes have been sponsored by the Department of Defense (DOD, eight institutes), Department of Energy (six institutes), and Department of Commerce (one institute). A new DOD-sponsored instituted is being competed in FY2020. A second NIST-sponsored institute has been requested in the President’s budget.

For FY2020, Congress provided $1,034.0 billion for NIST, including $754.0 million for the Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS) account, $162.0 million for the Industrial Technology Services (ITS) account, and $118.0 million for the Construction of Research Facilities (CRF) account. Within the ITS account, Congress provided $146.0 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program and $16.0 million for Manufacturing USA, including ongoing support for NIST’s first institute, the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), and support for coordination of the Manufacturing USA network.

The President is requesting $737.5 million for NIST in FY2021, a decrease of $296.5 million (28.7%) from the FY2020 enacted appropriation of $1,034.0 million. Included in the FY2021 request is $652 million for the STRS account, a decrease of $102.0 million (13.5%); $25.3 million for the ITS account, down $136.7 million (84.4%); and $60.2 million for the NIST CRF account for FY2020, down $57.8 million (49.0%). Within the ITS account, the request would provide no funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, a reduction of $146.0 million from the FY2020 enacted level. The FY2021 ITS request includes $25.3 million for Manufacturing USA, an increase of $9.3 million (58.1%). Of these funds, $20.0 million would be for the award and initial funding of a second Manufacturing USA institute; and $5.3 million would be for coordination of the Manufacturing USA network. All changes are from the FY2020 enacted levels.

Mission

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the “lead national laboratory for providing the measurements, calibrations, and quality assurance techniques which underpin United States commerce, technological progress, improved product reliability and manufacturing processes, and public safety.”

By statute, NIST is “to assist private sector initiatives to capitalize on advanced technology; to advance, through cooperative efforts among industries, universities, and government laboratories, promising research and development projects, which can be optimized by the private sector for commercial and industrial applications; and to promote shared risks, accelerated development, and pooling of skills which will be necessary to strengthen America’s manufacturing industries.”

NIST conducts leading-edge research in its seven research laboratories located in facilities in Gaithersburg, MD, and Boulder, CO.3 NIST employs approximately 3,000 scientists, engineers, technicians, and support personnel, and hosts about 3,500 guest researchers and associates from academia, industry, and other government agencies, who collaborate with NIST staff and access user facilities. Research is focused on measurement, standards, test methods, and basic “infrastructural technologies” that enable development of advanced technologies. Infrastructural technologies assist industry in characterizing new materials, monitoring production processes, and ensuring the quality of new product lines. Cooperative research with industry to overcome technical barriers to commercialization of emerging technologies is a major component of NIST’s work.

In addition, NIST manages extramural programs such as the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program and the Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NMI, also referred to as Manufacturing USA). Several other extramural programs previously conducted by NIST have been eliminated or integrated into other NIST activities. These programs are discussed in the next section.

Cutting to the chase....

Concluding Observations

When NBS was renamed NIST under the provisions of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, the laboratory was given additional missions and supporting programs. Two of the new programs—the Advanced Technology Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program—were intended to improve U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness. These programs generated criticism from some policymakers and analysts who objected to them on a variety of grounds, including whether such activities are appropriate for the federal government to undertake; whether they might result in suboptimal choices of technologies, choices better left to market forces; whether certain technologies, companies, or industries might be chosen for support based on criteria other than technical or business merit; and whether tax dollars should be awarded to already-profitable firms.

In contrast, NIST’s historical mission of conducting laboratory research in support of standards and metrics continued to enjoy broad support and faced little controversy. Evidence of this support can be seen in the selection of the STRS account—through which NIST laboratory work is funded—as one of the targeted accounts in the doubling efforts of former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and successive Congresses. However, even with broad support and the absence of controversy, funding for the NIST STRS account did not grow at the pace its advocates supported in presidential budget requests and successive authorizations of appropriations due to tight overall fiscal constraints on the federal budget.

These issues are discussed in more detail below.

Read on and enjoy!

“In the year 1500 AD Europe knew less than Archimedes who died in the year 212 BC.” – Alfred North Whitehead

The links below represent the week's water news as represented by my Tweets. I do not pretend that this survey is a comprehensive survey of the water news; it's my attempt to keep my readers informed to the best of my ability and available time.

Scroll down to 'Positions Open' and 'Previous Weeks' Positions Open' to see the jobs. All my individual job Tweets are archived at #JobWaWi. Previous weekly summaries are archived at: #WaWiNews or click here.

To: @TucsonStar@R_EricKuhn@tonydavis987@RefriedBrean@jfleck. I agree it's hard for most to visualize 1 AF. Some help: enough water to cover US football field to ~1 foot (no EZ); 4 feet of water on typical suburban lot (0.25 acre); 50% Olympic-sized pool; 1.3M qt. bottles (??)

Hey, @TucsonStar! Let's make it sound worse - 2B tons v. 1.5 MAF? Why not use pounds (4 trillion) or ounces? By @tonydavis987 Eye-popping’ study: Colorado River down 2 billion tons of water due to climate change http://bit.ly/37WaaIN

In the latest installment of @GWPnews's & @WYPW_PMJE's collaboration on storytelling, we introduce you to Stephanie Woodworth in Canada, whose goal in life is to connect people to water. Read her story: https://bit.ly/2T6KxzA

I'm in, Mike! Look what just showed up at @CaptDocMike's doorstep! Super exciting to hold the physical book in my hands. I told the nice young man from @UPSthat he was going to be famous today. Pass it on! https://amzn.to/2SSqg0J

In the latest installment of @GWPnews's & @WYPW_PMJE's collaboration on storytelling, we introduce you to Stephanie Woodworth in Canada, whose goal in life is to connect people to water. Read her story: https://bit.ly/2T6KxzA

Conflict, Cooperation, and SecurityClosing arguments in MS. v. TN, @CityOfMemphis& @MLGWgroundwater case were to be heard on 25 February 2020. Here is the Special Master's homepage with links to documents.Can't wait! http://bit.ly/2HXVH4H

It's @NatureBriefing - 28 February 2020. Today we delve into the ocean’s twilight zone, learn that coronavirus has reached sub-Saharan Africa and South America, and hear a call for economists and natural scientists to join forces once more to save the world http://bit.ly/387m1Ei

It's @natureBriefing 27 February 2020. Today we discover that pangolins are not certain to be the animal source of coronavirus, learn that Betelgeuse is getting bright again and hear how a tiny slip in the lab can lead to serious consequences http://bit.ly/3cidyRJ

It's @natureBriefing - 26 February 2020. Today we learn how scientists work to understand a tipping point in the Amazon, explore the strategies and questions surrounding a coronavirus pandemic, and ask whether it’s time to rewrite the rules in chem texts http://bit.ly/2wa0wFi

It's @natureBriefing - 25 February 2020. Today we explore molecular tools for assembling DNA, follow the race to diagnose and vaccinate against the coronavirus, and discover fresh clues in the great matter-antimatter mystery. http://bit.ly/2VtmPRf

It's @NatureBriefing - 24 February 2020. Today we discover an uncharted island in Antarctica, consider a future in which the COVID-19 coronavirus is pandemic and read ten tips for becoming a principal investigator (with cartoons!) http://bit.ly/3a4B7vI

Ethics, Gender, Indigenous People, Youth, RightsWhat a role model for us all! ! From @NPR: Katherine Johnson, @NASAMathematician And An Inspiration For 'Hidden Figures,' Dies https://n.pr/2uz3Aus

In the latest installment of @GWPnews's & @WYPW_PMJE's collaboration on storytelling, we introduce you to Stephanie Woodworth in Canada, whose goal in life is to connect people to water. Read her story: https://bit.ly/2T6KxzA

"A fact is a simple statement that everyone believes. It is innocent, unless found guilty. A hypothesis is a novel suggestion that no one wants to believe. It is guilty until found effective." - Edward Teller

"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." - Pablo Picasso

"Bookstore orders are due for Spring 2021. Please remember if you are not using a book, you still need to submit a blank order form, and a memorandum explaining why you are not using a book." - @ass_deans

"Give me the man and I will find you the crime." - KGB saying

"Anything invented after you're 35 is against the natural order of things." - Douglas Adams (quoted in @Telegraphvia @TheWeek)

To: @TucsonStar@R_EricKuhn@tonydavis987@RefriedBrean@jfleck. I agree it's hard for most to visualize 1 AF. Some help: enough water to cover US football field to ~1 foot (no EZ); 4 feet of water on typical suburban lot (0.25 acre); 50% Olympic-sized pool; 1.3M qt. bottles (??)

"We are sorry your publication was delayed by the journal strike, but it is still 'forthcoming' and does not count toward your tenure unless in print."- @ass_deans

What a role model for us all! ! From @NPR: Katherine Johnson, @NASAMathematician And An Inspiration For 'Hidden Figures,' Dies https://n.pr/2uz3Aus

IntroductionThe 116th Congress has held hearings and passed legislation directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other departments and agencies to take a range of actions to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. EPA actions to respond to PFAS contamination under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) have received significant attention. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2020 (NDAA, P.L. 116-92) amended SDWA to increase PFAS monitoring and authorize appropriations for grants to address PFAS in public water supplies, among other PFAS provisions.

Over the past decade, EPA has been evaluating several PFAS under SDWA to determine whether national drinking water regulations are warranted for one or more of these substances. On February 20, 2020, EPA announced preliminary decisions to develop SDWA regulations for the two most frequently detected PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). This In Focus outlines EPA actions to address PFAS under SDWA and reviews related legislation.

IntroductionCoal mining and production in the United States in the 20thcentury contributed to the nation meeting its energy requirements and left a legacy of unreclaimed lands. As amended, Title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) authorized federal funding to reclaim coal mining sites that operated prior to enactment to which no other federal or state laws applied. Sites that remain unreclaimed may continue to pose hazards to public health, safety, and the environment. The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, established under Section 401 of SMCRA, provides funding to eligible states and tribes for the reclamation of surface mining impacts associated with historical mining of coal. Title IV of SMCRA authorized the collection of fees on the production of coal. The use of this funding is limited to the reclamation of coal mining sites abandoned or unreclaimed as of August 3, 1977 (date of SMCRA enactment). Title V of SMCRA authorized the regulation of coal mining sites operatingafter the law’s enactment. Coal mining sites regulated under Title V are ineligible for grants from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund. SMCRA mandated that coal mine operators regulated under Title V are responsible for providing financial assurance for completing site reclamation. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) within the Department of the Interior is the federal office responsible for administering SMCRA in coordination with eligible states and tribes.

The coal reclamation fee collection authorization in Title IV expires at the end of FY2021. If Congress does not reauthorize the collection of reclamation fees, SMCRA directs the remaining balance of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to be distributed among states and tribes receiving grants from the fund until the balance is expended. The following sections describe the eligibility of sites for reclamation, estimated reclamation costs, grants to states and tribes, reauthorization issues and proposed legislation. This In Focus does not discuss the regulation of coal mining sites under Title V.

SummaryThis report summarizes the Clean Air Act and its major regulatory requirements. The principal statute addressing air quality concerns, the Clean Air Act was first enacted in 1955, with major revisions in 1970, 1977, and 1990. The act:

 requires EPA to set health-based standards for ambient air quality;

 sets deadlines for the achievement of those standards by state and local

governments;

 requires EPA to set national emission standards for large or ubiquitous sources of air pollution, including motor vehicles, power plants, and other industrial sources;

 requires the prevention of significant deterioration of air quality in areas with clean air;

 requires a program to restore visibility impaired by regional haze in national parks and wilderness areas; and

 implements the Montreal Protocol to phase out most ozone-depleting chemicals.

IntroductionThis report describes the act’s major provisions and provides tables listing all major amendments, with the year of enactment and Public Law number, and cross-referencing sections of the act with the major U.S. Code sections of the codified statute.

The authorities and responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) derive primarily from a dozen major environmental statutes. This report provides a concise summary of one of those statutes, the Clean Air Act. It provides a very brief history of federal involvement in air quality regulation and of the provisions added by legislation in 1970, 1977, and 1990; it explains major authorities contained in the act; it defines key terms; and it lists references for more detailed information on the act and its implementation.

While this report attempts to present the essence of the act, it is necessarily incomplete. Many details and secondary provisions are omitted. In addition, the report describes the statute largely without discussing its implementation. Statutory deadlines to control emissions and achieve particular mandates have often been missed as a result of delayed standard-setting by EPA, delayed action on implementation by states and local governments, or law suits brought by interested parties. Other CRS products, including CRS Report R45451, Clean Air Act Issues in the 116th Congress, and more than a dozen other CRS reports, discuss implementation concerns and current issues.

Enjoy!

"Bookstore orders are due for Spring 2021. Please remember if you are not using a book, you still need to submit a blank order form, and a memorandum explaining why you are not using a book." - @ass_deans

Circle of BlueCircle of Blue uses journalism, scientific research, and conversations from around the world to bring the story of the global freshwater crisis to life. Here you’ll find new water reports, news headlines, and hear from leading scientists.

Drink Water For LifeThe idea is simple. Drink water or other cheap beverages instead of expensive lattes, sodas, and bottled water for a set period of time. A day, a week, a month, Lent, Ramadan, Passover, or some other holiday period.

eFlowNet NewsletterFrom the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) this newsletter has lots of information about environmental flows and related issues.

Sustainable Water Resources RoundtableSince 2002, the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR) has brought together federal, state, corporate, non-profit and academic sectors to advance our understanding of the nation’s water resources and to develop tools for their sustainable management.